All The Products I Need To Address Highly Porous Hair

[CaraWalker]

welp, that finally explains it. apparently the reason why i am always stuck with stiff, hard, dry hair is because my hair is POROUS!

i cant keep straight all the things i need to get, and all the things i need to avoid.

looks like i need to avoid:

sulfates
humectants
applying products to soaking wet hair (news to me)
ingredients that would need sulfates in order to wash out (silicones and mineral oil apparently)

looks like i need to have:

protein
panthenol
heavy oils
multiple leave ins
acidity (?) roux porosity control (?) ACV rinses

what products do you use for your high porosity hair? deep conditioners and leave ins? how often do you have to use the roux product, and at what point in the wash? i feel like thats not a real conditioner.

i was planning on just buying some super expensive shampoo and conditioner set and now this....

 

[almond eyes]

I am medium to hi prorous. But my strands are fine to medium fine but high density.

I think if you have thick hair you have to be mindful of protein overload because thick hair tends to already have a lot of protein in the strands. If you have a thicker strand you do not need to do a protein treatment as often as women with fine, damaged, relaxed or color treated hair.

I was making myself go crazy trying to crack this code on my high porosity hair but the following helped me.

1. No color/No dying because that can make high porous hair more porous and tend to dryness
2. Use warm to very warm water (not hot) to do your washing/treatments that softens hi po hair. I do not follow up with cold water rinse. I used to but I don't find that helps at all.
3. Limit heat
4. Protein treatments but you have to know what protein treatments are best. Food doesn't cut it unless eggs. I used to not understand how protein treatments worked and then I would do a protein treatment and follow up with what I thought was a moisturising conditioner only to find out that it also has protein and then had protein overload and it made my hair hard. I also wasn't aware of the milder protein treatments vs the harder ones. I really recommend reading the ingredient list rather than buying a product and wasting it. So, I do my medium protein treatments on the ends of my hair every six to eight weeks but do milder protein treatments every month. The rest of the time I stick to Moisturizing treatments making sure those do not contain protein and my hair loves Aussie Moist Conditioner.
5. Dust ends every three months
6. Protective styles (with no extensions) that locks in the moisture
7. I use copious amounts of olive oil for my leave in and a leave in with no protein which is a challenge because for me glycerin and aloe in my leave ins make my hair crunchy.
8. I do big twists after treating my hair in order to stretch it out and then I do my real protective style on that stretched hair because it is easier to navigate.

I think you have to go by how your hair feels if after you use a product and your hair feels crunchy or hard you have to check out that ingredient list.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[krissyhair]

It's really not as complicated as it seems.

Highly porous just means that the hair has been exposed or slightly damaged, and the cuticle is lifted up.

If you simply give your hair tlc and limit heat or other damaging practices, it will be okay.

 

[Ogoma]

I think silicones will be extremely beneficial to highly porous hair. Your list seems more geared towards low porosity hair.

 

[CaraWalker]

It's really not as complicated as it seems.

Highly porous just means that the hair has been exposed or slightly damaged, and the cuticle is lifted up.

If you simply give your hair tlc and limit heat or other damaging practices, it will be okay.

i can count on my hands the number of times i flatironed my hair in the last three years. my hair is not damaged. my hair is naturally porous. this type of thinking (if i just leave my hair alone it will be alright) is why it took me so long to figure out there was actually some other reason my hair was always dried out.

 

[CaraWalker]

I am medium to hi prorous. But my strands are fine to medium fine but high density.

I think if you have thick hair you have to be mindful of protein overload because thick hair tends to already have a lot of protein in the strands. If you have a thicker strand you do not need to do a protein treatment as often as women with fine, damaged, relaxed or color treated hair.

I was making myself go crazy trying to crack this code on my high porosity hair but the following helped me.

1. No color/No dying because that can make high porous hair more porous and tend to dryness
2. Use warm to very warm water (not hot) to do your washing/treatments that softens hi po hair. I do not follow up with cold water rinse. I used to but I don't find that helps at all.
3. Limit heat
4. Protein treatments but you have to know what protein treatments are best. Food doesn't cut it unless eggs. I used to not understand how protein treatments worked and then I would do a protein treatment and follow up with what I thought was a moisturising conditioner only to find out that it also has protein and then had protein overload and it made my hair hard. I also wasn't aware of the milder protein treatments vs the harder ones. I really recommend reading the ingredient list rather than buying a product and wasting it. So, I do my medium protein treatments on the ends of my hair every six to eight weeks but do milder protein treatments every month. The rest of the time I stick to Moisturizing treatments making sure those do not contain protein and my hair loves Aussie Moist Conditioner.
5. Dust ends every three months
6. Protective styles (with no extensions) that locks in the moisture
7. I use copious amounts of olive oil for my leave in and a leave in with no protein which is a challenge because for me glycerin and aloe in my leave ins make my hair crunchy.
8. I do big twists after treating my hair in order to stretch it out and then I do my real protective style on that stretched hair because it is easier to navigate.

I think you have to go by how your hair feels if after you use a product and your hair feels crunchy or hard you have to check out that ingredient list.

Best,
Almond Eyes

can you recommend me some products? i am terrible at figuring out which products will work for my hair (now i know why)

 

[almond eyes]

can you recommend me some products? i am terrible at figuring out which products will work for my hair (now i know why)

For my arsenal it's pretty simple and I have wasted so much money over the years.

When you do your hair treatments use sections so that the products can get through all the parts of your hair if your hair is short you may need to use ouches bands or plastic hair clips with user friendly claws. Always undo and unclip sections.

Moisturising Conditioners: Aussie Moist and Aubrey Organics Huckleberry Rose conditioner. I do not use heat cap I don't think it's necessary but use a plastic processing cap and perhaps a hot towel or a plastic processing cap and a head wrap or beanie for at least 30 to 60 minutes. Aussie Moist can get pretty moisturizing so if you see you hair getting too soft over time use a protein that is why it is important to alternate your moisture and protein treatments like perhaps protein once a month or every two months and moisturizing every week. Since I started to only wash and condition weekly I no longer have this problem. When I was using Aussie Moist almost everyday and wetting my hair everyday my hair became too limp. Once to twice a week and you will be fine.

Protein Conditioners: Komaza protein strengthener, Aubrey Organics GBP and ORS Replenishing Moisturising Conditioner (the one with the bananas on it). Again if you have coarse thick strands you do not need to to do these treatments often as someone with fine, colored, damage or relaxed hair. And I keep my treatment on for about 20 to 30 minutes air dried. You always start a protein treatment first and end with a moisturising treatment. Once I went to a hair salon years ago and they gave me a protein treatment but then followed with a moisturising treatment that contained wheat protein and my hair became a tangled mess.

Make sure when you use a protein conditioner to always follow up with a moisturising conditioner. Again if you use other moisturizing conditioners besides the ones I have mentioned check the product ingredients. And you will also be able to tell by how your hair feels.

Leave ins: Olive oil or Almond Oil to stretch my hair into big twists and for the ends immediately after my hair has been washed out completely. I don't like coconut oil because that is comedogenic and if you have hormonal or oily skin that stuff will break you out fast. I also will start to use Curl Prep Sweet Butta for my moisturizer when the twists dry and for my styles. For other leave ins again some women don't mind the aloes, glycerins or wheat proteins my hair doesn't like them it makes them dry like a protein but I guess once a week usage of leave ins might work for some. I also do not keep moisturizing my hair everyday unless I leave it out. I only concentrate on the ends once I have done my initial moisture.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[CaraWalker]

For my arsenal it's pretty simple and I have wasted so much money over the years.

When you do your hair treatments use sections so that the products can get through all the parts of your hair if your hair is short you may need to use ouches bands or plastic hair clips with user friendly claws. Always undo and unclip sections.

Moisturising Conditioners: Aussie Moist and Aubrey Organics Huckleberry Rose conditioner. I do not use heat cap I don't think it's necessary but use a plastic processing cap and perhaps a hot towel or a plastic processing cap and a head wrap or beanie for at least 30 to 60 minutes. Aussie Moist can get pretty moisturizing so if you see you hair getting too soft over time use a protein that is why it is important to alternate your moisture and protein treatments like perhaps protein once a month or every two months and moisturizing every week. Since I started to only wash and condition weekly I no longer have this problem. When I was using Aussie Moist almost everyday and wetting my hair everyday my hair became too limp. Once to twice a week and you will be fine.

Protein Conditioners: Komaza protein strengthener, Aubrey Organics GBP and ORS Replenishing Moisturising Conditioner (the one with the bananas on it). Again if you have coarse thick strands you do not need to to do these treatments often as someone with fine, colored, damage or relaxed hair. And I keep my treatment on for about 20 to 30 minutes air dried. You always start a protein treatment first and end with a moisturising treatment. Once I went to a hair salon years ago and they gave me a protein treatment but then followed with a moisturising treatment that contained wheat protein and my hair became a tangled mess.

Make sure when you use a protein conditioner to always follow up with a moisturising conditioner. Again if you use other moisturizing conditioners besides the ones I have mentioned check the product ingredients. And you will also be able to tell by how your hair feels.

Leave ins: Olive oil or Almond Oil to stretch my hair into big twists and for the ends. I don't like coconut oil because that is comedogenic and if you have hormonal or oily skin that stuff will break you out fast. I also will start to use Curl Prep Sweet Butta for my moisturizer when the twists dry and for my styles. For other leave ins again some women don't mind the aloes, glycerins or wheat proteins my hair doesn't like them it makes them dry like a protein but I guess once a week usage of leave ins might work for some.

Best,
Almond Eyes

aussie moist is the one conditioner i regularly buy over and over and over actually wait, im thinking of tresemme. but they sound similar. i also remember good feelings about the orange ORS. what do you think about shampoo? do you use the porosity control stuff?

i am still wondering if maybe it's time for me to upgrade to salon quality products because i am just over battling with this issue. my hair is otherwise in great condition, i have very pretty hair. its just i cannot seem to find a way to keep it conditioned

 

[almond eyes]

aussie moist is the one conditioner i regularly buy over and over and over actually wait, im thinking of tresemme. but they sound similar. i also remember good feelings about the orange ORS. what do you think about shampoo? do you use the porosity control stuff?

i am still wondering if maybe it's time for me to upgrade to salon quality products because i am just over battling with this issue. my hair is otherwise in great condition, i have very pretty hair. its just i cannot seem to find a way to keep it conditioned

I use a shampoo bar and trader joe's tea tree tingle as a clarifier but I will also rotate in their the Aussie Moist Shampoo because shampoo bars are hard to use.

I have used the roux stuff years ago and what I know now it is not necessary unless you really like the product. I think if your hair seems to lack moisture you may want to consider some light dustings to get you back on track.

It sounds like you just need to tweak a few things and you hair will be fine.

Best,
Almond Eyes

 

[DarkJoy]

PRODUCTS
-recon & Leave in. Right now I use Shescentit okra and the shescentit line of moisture leave ins
-V05 Balancing or As I Am coconut cowash
-grease or butters to heavy seal
-always oil prepoo. Seems to smooth the strands better

TIPS
-Heavy sealing
-Avoid excessive lengths of time having it wet (it gets soggy and breaks)
-Use recon weekly as opposed to moisture dc and follow up with a moisturizing leave in
-ACV helps if its really bad but only like a half teaspoon per 16oz. The dilution is real small. Most ppl make it too strong
-Cool water washing AND rinsing is helpful.

 

[Adiatasha]

How do you know your hairs porosity?

From the strand test?

 

[IDareT'sHair]

1. I knew I was over/double/triple processed and had overly porous hair.

I was able to get to Normal Porosity to buying using:
Ph Balanced (tested) Products
ACV Rinse
Porosity Control
And several other Porosity Control/Correcting Products.

 

[CaraWalker]

How do you know your hairs porosity?

From the strand test?

no. every description ive read of porous hair describes my hair exactly. it gets soft in warm water but unless you know what youre doing dries hard, stiff, and crunchy. thats because the hair is full of holes that dont maintain the moisture. it seems like NOTHING i do helps this, although i have always known my hair is better with heavier products. that coconut oil is the devil on my hair. most of the stuff ive read about here, like this entire forum, does not apply to my hair AT ALL. this is the only thing ive seen that is really resonating with me.

 

[CaraWalker]

PRODUCTS
-recon & Leave in. Right now I use Shescentit okra and the shescentit line of moisture leave ins
-V05 Balancing or As I Am coconut cowash
-grease or butters to heavy seal
-always oil prepoo. Seems to smooth the strands better

TIPS
-Heavy sealing
-Avoid excessive lengths of time having it wet (it gets soggy and breaks)
-Use recon weekly as opposed to moisture dc and follow up with a moisturizing leave in
-ACV helps if its really bad but only like a half teaspoon per 16oz. The dilution is real small. Most ppl make it too strong
-Cool water washing AND rinsing is helpful.

what's recon?

 

[virtuenow]

How did you determine your hair is HP?

The best products for my highly porous hair are Aubrey Organics GPB reconstructor conditioner (works best as a DC on dry hair, weekly when just starting out); and castor oil rinses as the final step on wash day. That Is best to start with. I definitely wouldn't do ACV rinses again, it ate my hair up (yes, very diluted). Your list sounds great otherwise. And not difficult for me to follow.

 

[virtuenow]

what's recon?

reconstructorDC, it's THE best thing for highly porous hair. I suggested one above also. Each time you use it, you should feel your hair getting stronger and holding more moistur. It builds up the strand. That's why we suggest using it weekly at first.

 

[CaraWalker]

I think silicones will be extremely beneficial to highly porous hair. Your list seems more geared towards low porosity hair.

after doing some more reading yeah i came across incorrect information about cones initially.

 

[CaraWalker]

reconstructorDC, it's THE best thing for highly porous hair. I suggested one above also. Each time you use it, you should feel your hair getting stronger and holding more moistur. It builds up the strand. That's why we suggest using it weekly at first.

so this is the HG deep conditioner? is this an actual product? or just a "reconstructing" deep conditioner? i googled the term you used and didn't get anything specific.

i think i got it now. i have the shampoo, the porosity control, the deep condition... then the leave in, then a butter and a sealant?

what are you guys using for the final two steps?

 

[virtuenow]

What is HG? Final two steps of what?

 

[virtuenow]

after doing some more reading yeah i came across incorrect information about cones initially.

Eh, your initial point on cones is correct- at least as it relates to my hair and many others.I steer clear of cones (unless flat ironing). They dry my hp hair out. Now that I've corrected my porosity my hair can handle them better.

 

[greenandchic]

It's really not as complicated as it seems.

Highly porous just means that the hair has been exposed or slightly damaged, and the cuticle is lifted up.

If you simply give your hair tlc and limit heat or other damaging practices, it will be okay.

Some people just have porous hair. Before I relaxed my hair last year, I went 11 years without using heat and my hair was still porous as heck. LOL

 

[CaraWalker]

Some people just have porous hair. Before I relaxed my hair last year, I went 11 years without using heat and my hair was still porous as heck. LOL

yep. this is the natural/normal condition of my hair. here is a better explanation:

When compared to other hair types, African American hair is particularly fragile. That's because any type of curly hair is dry due to the bend or kink in each curl. The area where the curl bends has raised cuticle scales, which means it's porous and can't hold on to moisture well. The more kinks in a strand, the more porous and dry the strand will be. With that in mind, the #1 goal of a good regimen for African American hair is to keep the hair moisturized and therefore minimize breakage.

 

[CaraWalker]

What is HG? Final two steps of what?

sealing. ive been reading a lot of conflicting information on this and am trying to sort out what would be bset for my porous hair. i am putting together this plan:

1. shampoo
2. roux
3. DC
4. leave in
5. seal

it looks like people are breaking sealing into 2 steps, first with an oil, then with a butter. i am thinking back to various "butter" products i have tried (jane somebody with the yellow sunflower... coconut smoothie something or other that started with a vowel... oyin maybe... that product from qhemet... mango butter...) and i dont think they were all that great on my hair. i know for damn sure my hair reacts badly to any kind of oil i put in it. honestly i am thinking i might go back to mineral oil/grease/vaseline.

 

[virtuenow]

so this is the HG deep conditioner? is this an actual product? or just a "reconstructing" deep conditioner? i googled the term you used and didn't get anything specific.

i think i got it now. i have the shampoo, the porosity control, the deep condition... then the leave in, then a butter and a sealant?

what are you guys using for the final two steps?

Here's my last thread-- on my hair recovery, should answer this question, plus links my original thread where I disuss my high porosity problem & analysis : https://longhaircareforum.com/threa...my-signature-pic-2-year-growth-update.748979/

 

[naturalyogini]

I have high porosity hair and have tried every natural product out there. Well at least that's how my wallet feels. Anywhoo, the best conditioner for me is Aestelance repair cream, repair emulsion and mud mask for quick moisture. They all have silicones in them and whenever I try to switch to non silicone conditioners, I end up with dry hair. I always go back to Aestelance. Now my real problem is what to style with. NONE of the stylers work for me. My hair does not dry soft at all, no matter how many layers of products I use. My hair has been like this, since I stopped relaxing it. Frankly, my hair was in better health when it was relaxed. But my scalp can't take relaxers or color anymore.

The only natural conditioner that seems to soften my hair but is a mess to use is Botanical Spirits Mud Mask (?) It has ACV in it. I don't buy it because 1) it's too expensive and 2) it is just too messy. But if you can afford it, get it and then follow up with her Banana conditioner. I can tell the difference because my twists dry fat and moist which means my hair is retaining moisture.

Sorry to ramble.... I am now on a quest for stylers.... I know what works conditioner wise. If I could just stop experimenting....My last experimentation with Claudies was a bust. One last thing. HP hair needs products with a low pH..between 4.5-5.5 Nothing higher.

 

[mshoneyfly]

Joico Moisture Recovery poo, conditioner and treatment balm wirk nicely for me. I also rely on the k-pak reconstruct conditioner for my hard protein treatments. They all have a pH of 4.5 to 5.5 and are really making a difference in my HP, fine, texturized hair.

You also might wanna try the Shea Moisture JBCO line. They have ACV in the ingredients.

ETA: I always keep my hair wrapped in a towel for a while before applying my leave-ins, moisturizer and oil. My hair needs to be about 75% dry or more before applying to avoid crunchy strands.

 

[overtherainbow]

Glad to see so many hi-po ladies on here! I've been hi-po my entire life (didn't change when relaxed or natural) and played around with a lot of different methods.
In the winter I:
Use a heavy leave in like SMCES and seal with something heavy like whipped Shea butter or good ole grease.
In the summer I:
Use glycerine free leave in and a lighter sealent like coconut oil.
The trick is to always seal from at least ends to the middle of the hair shaft. I have an oily scalp so I do not have to seal the first 4 inches of my hair, but a lot of naturals do not have this problem so adjust accordingly.

And I second @DarkJoy 's point about making sure your hair doesn't stay too wet. Wet binning and overnight conditioning would just cause weak ends and mushy hair.

I use a light protein every time I wash, but my hair is finicky and hates it as a final rinse. To keep my moisture balance, I prepoo with Giovanni SAS and do my Cowash routine with a cheapy moisturizing conditioner. That way I'm still getting the protein I need and the moisture in less steps. Coconut oil and SM's leave ins are also great for incorporating light protein.

 

[napbella]

good info in this thread, tfs!!

 

[Sosa]

My hair is hi-po. It loves castor oil....I find it moisturizing.

I henna which seems to help.
I use conditioners that contain centrimonium chloride high on the list. If I am doctoring up a dc, egg yolk,coconut oil and honey is added.

If I flat iron, I add coconut oil. I rarely flat iron tho, I live in Florida and the humidity plus my hi-po hair

 

[CaraWalker]

its only been a week but i've implemented some of the stuff i learned. i bought the porosity corrector and have decided to start using heavier products after shampooing for "sealing."

my hair does feel better already. i still have some moisturizing issues because i had a sew in the last couple of months and it always takes a little time to correct that after taking it down, but i feel better about the dryness problems. i really did need to go back to grease though i may try castor oil if i start feeling like the petroleum is too greasy to touch. i bought a "light" grease because i don't think my hair would do well with one as heavy as vaseline. my hair is already less stiff and moves on its own, so i know if i am consistent i'm going to start seeing the changes i want.

im not sure how often i should use the porosity corrector but i'm going to try once a week to start off with and see how to taper it from there.

the one thing im not sure about is whether my hair will dry better if i apply products to wet, damp, or mostly dry hair. it's going to take awhile of trial and error to figure that one out.